Apply your creativity with someone else’s, and you will both do something better together.

— Matt

via the ADC: "Matt Hill is passionate about fusing all his passions, effectively creating his own mashup masterpiece. In this course, Matt shows us how to combine long-exposure night photography, cut paper art and barely-clothed models to create an incredible project that he calls “Night Paper."

Originally posted in October 2014 by the Art Directors Club in collaboration with Skillfeed.

NOTE: I am sorry to say that Skillfeed closed its doors this Fall. But both the ADC and Skillfeed gave me permission to re-post this for all to enjoy. Thanks for watching!

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across Seth Godin's altMBA program while seeing what Seth has been up to lately on his website.

I was a) shocked that I had not heard about it when launched earlier in 2015 and b) immediately wanted to be part of this experience. They had me after three paragraphs. Seriously.

So, I read about the commitment, the possibilities, and then consulted my wife. Well, it's a solid 30-day commitment and I will be immersed in day work plus this for neigh on a month. She practically pushed me back to the computer and said, "go for it! They made it for you."

Well, apparently, the team that chose the lucky 100 people for the third altMBA session agreed with Mabel. I got in. And I really can't wait for early January to come. I'm ready to collaborate, iterate and ship it. For my friends in the photo industry, this is like getting chosen for Barnstorm. I am humbled, but feel empowered. I am ready.

Looking north by northwest from the Loop Head Peninsula two days after a full moon. Prints available for purchase - contact Matt@matthillart.com

At the tail end of our journey around Ireland, we spent a mystical evening on the southern tip of the Clare County of Ireland's west coast. The location is called Loop Head, a mispronunciation of "Leap Head" from Irish folklore where certain gentlemen escaped a witch by leaping out to the island featured above, and then back. They escaped because the witch did not make the leap back, and legend says her head was found 3 days later at Hags Head up the coast along the Cliffs of Moher. The story illustrates why it's important to not stand too close to the edge, as what my look like solid ground, may have naught underneath it and can fall into the sea.

We scouted earlier in the day, having a wonderful afternoon walking around the lighthouse grounds on the peninsula. Here are a few daylight photos from that jaunt.

Breathtaking views, seals, birds, sea, air... it all adds up to an ideal location for night photography... one would think! But when the night comes, all that sea air and ocean makes for a quick dew/mist. As we approached midnight, it became unbearable - one swipe of my lens to clear it and not three seconds later it was covered in nature's soft focus filter ;-) If you also choose to go here after dark, it's easy to park (and free). But please do be extra careful near the cliffs. Here are my best from the evening:

The unique basalt rock formation that comprise the Giants Causeway see from the side under strong moonlight. Prints available for purchase - contact Matt@matthillart.com

I must say that I was very lucky. The weather at the Giants Causeway is reportedly very uncooperative on a regular basis. We chose, totally at random, a near-perfect evening. Am I am very grateful, as this location was of singular importance photographically during a vacation with my wife.

But I must stress that daytime scouting is integral to a successful night photo shoot. We visited in the late afternoon and that experience gave us a footprint and game plan for later that evening. Here are some shots of what it looks like during daytime from my phone:

It was only one day after the popular Blood Supermoon Total Lunar Eclipse, so we had a daylight-bright moon coming over the south rim of the cliffs ahead of us. And partly cloudy, but very high, slow-moving clouds. All in all, it was a stupendous setup for night photography. But it had its challenges.

The rocks are study, but uneven. Dangerous if you like to move too quickly - care is paramount. And the ascent to the main part of the causeway is a little steep. but manageable. And since the moon was due south, it was also a challenge to find angle where the moon was not totally flaring the lens or flat lighting the unique geology. I think we did pretty good.

I also would like to add one important thing about being a night photographer - the community is outstanding. We met another fellow long exposure devotee there named John, who lives only 30 minutes away. Not only was he extremely friendly, but he was also helpful. A young couple was camping and attempting their first NPy, and he generously provided tips and instruction to them, as well as some insights and encouragement to us. Well met, John! I hope to shoot with you again. And now, the photos:

My favorite photo from the evening, featuring strong light from the waning full moon. Prints available for purchase - contact Matt@matthillart.com

My wife and I had the an amazing evening photographing the ruins of Clonmacnoise Monastery in Ireland while on vacation last week. The ruins were rumored to have banshees coming from the moors and ghosts from the ruins. We only encountered a group of fellow photographers from nearly camera club (very friendly!) and some noisy swans down by the water where they nest.